A Gourmet on the Tip of the Tongue

In modern society, the term "noblewoman" usually describes a woman who is elegant, fashionable, and has a taste for the finer things in life. At this moment, seated at the judge's table was Natsume Sendawara, wearing a white dress with purple and gold trim. The exquisite tailoring perfectly showcased her graceful figure. The "V" neckline design slightly revealed her beautiful collarbone and neck.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a sparkling gemstone necklace around her fair neck. She sat upright, maintaining her elegance as she quietly observed the competition venue.

Under the bright lights, the 30 contestants in Block B busied themselves as the competition began. Among them was a girl with blue twin braids, who was cute and had sparkling eyes. Despite her adorable appearance, she trembled on stage, her face pale with nervousness, a stark contrast to her usual self.

Having no other choice, Megumi wrote the character "人" (person) on her palm and stuffed it into her mouth, hoping to calm her nerves.

"What should I do?"

"It's my first time in such an important competition, and I'm so nervous!"

"Plus, the judges include the famous Curry Queens and the renowned gourmet club owner, Osaji."

"My monkfish curry hot pot probably won't impress them…"

Trembling slightly, Megumi walked to her cooking station and cautiously picked up her kitchen knife. However, she didn't hold it steady, and it clattered to the ground.

"Oh no, why did I drop it?"

Terrified, she quickly crouched down to pick up the knife.

...

"Is this for real?"

"How did a student like this qualify for the autumn selection?"

"She's been so jittery since she got on stage, and now she can't even hold her knife!"

"Can she really make a curry dish that will satisfy us?"

"Incomprehensible."

"And utterly unacceptable!"

Glaring at Megumi, Orie Sendawara shot a disdainful look before muttering her criticism. Unlike her reserved sister, Natsume, Orie had a blunt personality. Seeing such a poor performance, she couldn't help but voice her displeasure.

"Everyone gets nervous their first time in the autumn selection."

"To be honest, this contestant, Megumi, is actually in the same dorm as me, so I know her abilities well."

In an attempt to smooth things over, Satoshi, the seventh seat of the Elite Ten and the overseer of Block B, explained to the Sendawara sisters and Osaji, feeling a bit exasperated.

"The same dorm?"

"Are you saying she's your dormmate and that you recommended her for the competition?"

Natsume frowned, sensing something suspicious.

"Yes!"

"But she deserves to be here!"

Satoshi affirmed without hesitation.

"Whatever. If she can't get past us, she's just cannon fodder for the other contestants to trample over."

Seeing his confidence, Natsume didn't argue further. After all, regardless of connections or favoritism, any contestant unable to impress the judges with their curry would be eliminated.

...

"I can't find Erina anywhere."

"As a supervisor, she's probably overseeing the A block."

After setting up her equipment and ingredients, Alice wiped her brow and looked towards the judges' seats, hoping to spot her cousin.

She had developed a unique low-temperature molecular curry chicken and wanted to impress Erina. Unfortunately, it seemed that her wish wouldn't come true today.

The bustling venue was packed with people, like an endless swarm of ants. The noise grew louder as the competition neared, creating a chaotic environment. Among the crowd were supporters like Shiomi, Daigo Aoki, Shoji Sato, and Fumio from the Polar Star Dormitory.

Others, like Rindo, were simply there out of curiosity. Some, like Momo, were there to assess the new talents.

Regardless of their reasons, nothing could dampen the excitement brought by the autumn selection.

In another block, Erina, acting as a supervisor, stood near the judges' seats with her arms crossed. Her sharp violet eyes scanned the 30 contestants, finally meeting the gaze of Hisako.

"Erina-sama, I won't let you down."

Hisako, feeling Erina's eyes on her, clenched her fists with determination.

"Jun."

"I will show the world."

"That the future will be dominated by spices!"

Smelling a bit of turmeric powder on his fingers, Ryo closed his eyes and murmured.

"Dad, I will carry the spirit of Yukihira Diner and complete this battle of revenge. I will bring happiness through my cooking."

Beside him, Soma tightly wrapped a cloth around his left hand, his eyes filled with determination.

Faith!

As a powerful weapon, any force seems insignificant before it.

The reason Totsuki Academy remains unshaken and holds the top position in Japan is because, under elite education, its students possess an unyielding faith.

And the A block, filled with formidable contestants, was destined to be a battleground without smoke!

...

In Block B, Miyoko, dressed in a cheongsam that highlighted her fiery figure, began cutting a pineapple in half, removing the flesh with a small knife, and soaking the chunks in saltwater.

She heated a bit of butter in a pan until it was eighty percent hot, added beaten eggs, onions, and raisins, and briefly sautéed them until the aroma was released.

Then she added cooked rice to the pan.

With her index and middle fingers gripping the handle of a heavy iron pan, she used her thumb and the other fingers to lift and toss the rice.

In an instant, the grains of rice flew into the air, glistening like a dark galaxy.

She then slowly brought the pan back down, her movements smooth and impressive, leaving everyone in awe.

...

"Who would have thought that a woman could display such strength?"

"To handle such a heavy iron pan so easily and make what appears to be pineapple curry fried rice."

Orie watched in amazement as Miyoko tossed the rice. She then turned her gaze to Megumi, clearly unimpressed.

"She's just nervous."

Satoshi emphasized again: "I can assure you, if she gets serious, she can make it to the top four in Block B."

"Are you sure?" Orie questioned, doubting Megumi's abilities.

Meanwhile, Alice sautéed onions, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal, added yellow curry powder, and simmered for 30 minutes.

She combined the curry paste with seaweed gelatin and sodium citrate, heated it to 90 degrees, then cooled it to 58 degrees.

Using a syringe, she created small curry capsules by dropping the mixture into a calcium solution.

Next, she marinated chicken in curry sauce, sealed it in a vacuum bag, and sous-vide it.

"What kind of dish is this?"

"Curry in capsules?"

Seeing Alice's unique technique left Natsume, Orie, and Osaji all stunned.

A dominant chef must stand out, and Alice certainly did.

She was undoubtedly a queen among them!

...

"This monkfish is so heavy!"

At that moment, Megumi struggled to hang a large monkfish on a hook.

Due to her nervousness, she found it extremely difficult, almost dropping the fish several times.

Her performance was indeed subpar compared to Alice and Miyoko.

In the audience, whispers began questioning how she even qualified for the autumn selection.

Finally, she managed to hook the fish.

With the monkfish hanging in the air, Megumi felt a sense of relief.

She patted her face, trying to calm down.

Then, without hesitation, she firmly grasped her knife, her expression serious.

"No way! Is she really going to do it?"

"Is she going to process the monkfish in front of everyone?"

At this moment, Natsume realized what Megumi was about to do and was shocked.

"Look, look!"

"Megumi is really using monkfish!"

"Incredible, she couldn't even hold her knife earlier, and now she's going to process the fish?"

"That's one of the hardest fish to handle. With her current skills, it seems impossible…"

"She's crazy!"

"She's absolutely crazy!"

The entire Block B was filled with exclamations.

Supervisor Satoshi, too, watched with bated breath, unable to calm his racing thoughts.

...

"Zane, thank you again."

"Your cooking has once again inspired me!"

Ignoring the noise around her, Megumi focused on the monkfish.

She took a deep breath and swung her knife without hesitation, her movements precise and confident.

Her serious expression and the sweat forming on her forehead showed her concentration.

Her knife skills were sharp and fluid, leaving everyone in awe.

With a swift motion, she peeled the skin off the monkfish, revealing its tender flesh.

The process, although bloody and tense, was undeniably successful.

Next, she began to fillet the monkfish!

She carefully removed the liver with a single cut.

Her knife skills, now free from nervousness, became more adept, and before anyone realized it, she had perfectly processed the entire fish!

Using the hanging method to process monkfish is incredibly challenging, requiring precision and focus.

Typically, only strong, experienced men attempt this task.

However, Megumi successfully processed the large monkfish, proving her capabilities.

Her journey involved hardships unimaginable to ordinary people.

But now, Megumi had transformed, no longer the timid girl people remembered.

...

"Incredible."

"To process the monkfish perfectly in such a short time…"

"I really underestimated this contestant named Megumi."

Orie was shocked, recalling Megumi's earlier method. She felt a chill down her spine.

Natsume nodded in approval: "To calm down from extreme nervousness and handle the monkfish with such composure... This strong determination promises a bright future for her."

"Yes, her courage to break through in this competition has truly impressed us!"

Orie agreed, nodding: "Judging by her ingredients, is she making monkfish curry hot pot?"

Despite the initial doubts, everyone now watched with anticipation.

What kind of curry dish would she create?